1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle steering control apparatus including a steer-by-wire system and a clutch for mechanically connecting and disconnecting a driver operating unit to and from a steering unit configured to steer a steered wheel.
2. Background Information
In conventional steer-by-wire (SBW) systems in which the steering wheel and the steering mechanism of the front wheels are mechanically separated from each other (e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-225733), a clutch is provided as a backup mechanism for mechanically connecting the steering wheel and the steering mechanism together. When an abnormality occurs in a portion of the SBW system, the clutch is connected and the SBW control is suspended immediately and replaced with an assist control that reduces the steering burden of the driver.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved vehicle steering control apparatus. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.